New lawsuit by teen targets members of the Special Operations Section, who have been convicted of illegal searches, stealing money and trumped-up charges

March 28, 2011|By Annie Sweeney, Tribune reporter

Hopkins then sat Fematt in the vestibule again and allegedly threatened him. "If anyone came asking what he saw here tonight that he better not tell anyone," the suit said. "Or else … she and her fellow … officers would come after him and put him in jail for a long time."

Hamilton said that when Fematt was allowed in the apartment, his sister was asleep in a back bedroom. The home was in "total disarray" after the officers threw belongings about in a search of the apartment, according to the lawsuit.

When his mom returned from work, she found the contents of drawers and closets emptied onto the floor and her son's wrists swollen and red, according to the lawsuit.

They left the home — a brown brick house with tall trees in a long side yard — seeking refuge with a relative until they could find a new apartment.

And they went on with their lives, Hamilton said. Jose Fematt graduated from high school and now works full time at a restaurant.

He has never shared his story with anyone but his family and his lawyer, Hamilton said. His sister has no memory of what happened.

Hopkins, one of the officers who pleaded guilty to other SOS abuses, was sentenced to 60 days in jail.